Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle on Wednesday came down hard on various sectors of the U.S. prescription drug supply chain during a hearing to shed light on the reasons for rising costs. At a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing, Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., touted changes in the fiscal 2026 spending package enacted this month to improve pharmacy-benefit manager pricing transparency and reduce incentives for PBMs to promote higher-priced drugs to Medicare Part D beneficiaries. The hearing is the committee's latest push on health care affordability. The panel last month grilled the CEOs of major insurance companies, who often struggled to directly answer lawmakers' questions on what they're doing to lower costs for patients. Last week, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee unveiled their outline for lowering drug prices. The plan seeks to expand the drug negotiation provisions in President Joe Biden's 2022 reconciliation law and examine ways to lower prices for people who have employer-sponsored insurance.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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